Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting Lisbon – News and Probable Lineups

The Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt is set to extend their remarkable journey in the Champions League this Tuesday, as they host Sporting Lisbon at Aspmyra Stadion for the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup.

The Super Team shockingly eliminated Inter de Milão, last season’s finalists, during the playoffs, while their Portuguese counterparts advanced directly to this phase of the tournament.

Match overview

As one of the standout surprises in this season’s top European tournament, Glimt has made a significant impact in their inaugural participation in the Champions League, showcasing several impressive performances.

The Norwegian side clinched a playoff spot after going unbeaten in their final three league matches, which included a draw at Borussia Dortmund followed by stunning wins against Manchester City (3-1) and Atletico Madrid (2-1), finishing 23rd in the 36-team table.

With a solid 3-1 win in the first leg of their playoff at home, Kjetil Knutsen’s squad maintained pressure in the return fixture at San Siro, where goals from Jens Petter Hauge and Hakon Evjen secured a 2-1 victory over Inter despite a late goal from Alessandro Bastoni.

Having become the first Norwegian club to achieve four consecutive wins in the Champions League proper, as well as the first from Norway to win a knockout match in the tournament, Glimt will certainly aim to continue their impressive streak.

The Super Team also has grounds for confidence heading into the round-of-16 clash due to their strong European home record, having secured 12 victories in their last 17 matches at Aspmyra (D1, L4).

Entering Wednesday’s encounter, Glimt boasts a positive trajectory following a 2-1 win at Molde last Thursday, which placed them in the quarter-finals of the Norwegian Cup, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches across all competitions, with the last seven resulting in victories.

This success also provides the recently dethroned Eliteserien champions the chance for domestic silverware after narrowly losing the 2025 league title to Vikings, and with no fixtures scheduled over the weekend, Knutsen’s squad arrives for the mid-week matchup well-rested.

Sporting, having taken the field more recently than their Norwegian hosts, could only manage a 2-2 draw at Braga on Saturday, despite taking the lead twice through Goncalo Inacio and Luiz Suarez, eventually allowing the Primeira Liga champions to concede a stoppage-time penalty.

While this result keeps the Lions second in the Portuguese top division, four points behind the leaders, it also means Rui Borges’s team has now remained unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions (W10, D2).

This impressive run includes a win in the first leg of the Taca de Portugal semi-final against Porto, along with victories in the concluding rounds of the Champions League league phase, triumphing over Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 and Athletic Bilbao 3-2 to finish in seventh place in the 36-team standings.

While the Lisbon team bypassed the playoffs this year—where they were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund last season—they do have experience at this stage, having lost both previous round-of-16 ties, enduring a 12-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in 2008-09 and a 5-0 aggregate loss to Manchester City in 2021-22.

These outcomes highlight Sporting’s struggles in European away matches, as the Portuguese side has not claimed an away win at this stage or later in 15 European matches since 2005 (D6, L9), indicating a challenging test awaits them at Glimt on Wednesday.

Team News

Bodo/Glimt seems to have a complete squad available for this match, with no players suspended, though midfielders Sondre Auklend and Patrick Berg are one booking away from a suspension.

Head coach Knutsen has fielded the same lineup for the last four continental encounters and is anticipated to stick with this approach, as the attacking trio of Ole Didrik Blomberg, Kasper Hogh, and Hauge are expected to lead the attack.

The latter has netted six times in 10 Champions League appearances and will be looking to add to his tally after scoring three goals in his last two home games in the competition.

On the other hand, Suarez has been a consistent contributor, scoring in each of his last five outings across all competitions for Sporting, making him a crucial asset in the visitors’ offense.

In terms of injuries, the Lions continue to be without the Chelsea-bound winger Geovany Quenda (foot), as well as Giorgi Kochorashvili, Ricardo Mangas, and Fotis Ioannidis who may also miss out due to injury.

Sporting will additionally miss left-back Maximiliano Araujo and midfielder Pedro Goncalves, who are both suspended due to an accumulation of bookings.

Bodo/Glimt probable starting XI:

Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Sporting Lisbon probable starting XI:

Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Vagiannidis; Hjulmand, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Guilherme; Suarez

Glimt is renowned for making matches difficult for their opponents at Aspmyra, and after defeating football giants Manchester City and Inter in their last two home fixtures, the Super Team will be confident of outmatching a Sporting side that has struggled in their European away games.

The Lions suffered defeats in two of their four league-phase matches away from home (W1, D1), and may face difficulties due to the cold conditions in Glimt, although the fixture still holds potential for goals from both sides.